The Jumbo Book of Science: 136 of the Best Experiments from the Ontario Science Centre

E. Jane Philipps is the science librarian in the Biology Library at
Queen’s University.

The Jumbo Book of Science combines the best experiments from three
previous Ontario Science Centre publications: Scienceworks, Foodworks,
and How Sport Works. The intended audience is 8- to 12-year-olds, but
this volume will appeal to children and adults alike. The experiments
are grouped into seven broad categories and are designed to introduce
and explain a variety of natural phenomena through a process of
entertaining, self-directed discovery. The “Body Science” section,
for example, deals with human morphology and physiology, including
flexibility, balance, taste, digestion, and excretion. Several sections
deal with facets of the natural world, plant hormones, making soil,
hydroponics, solar energy, and homemade rain. “Science Whats, Hows and
Whys” answers questions like “Why do balls bounce?” and “What
makes popcorn pop?” The experiments can be done in- or outdoors, alone
or with friends. All experiments can be conducted using common household
items. Some take a few minutes, others take days. Many of the
experiments are old favorites, like the mцbius strip. The volume is a
potpourri into which one can dip at random and in which one may lose
oneself for hours. Action- and humor-filled drawings enhance the text,
which nicely combines the colloquial with the didactic. The Jumbo Book
of Science educates and entertains. Highly recommended.